Ohio State’s Jaques named nation’s top women’s hockey player
DULUTH, Minn. − Ohio State senior defenseman Sophie Jaques has been chosen as the winner of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award, presented annually to the top player in NCAA Division I women’s hockey.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to receive the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award,” Jaques said in her acceptance speech. “I am grateful to be a recipient of an award named after the incredible athlete, scholar and human being, Patty Kazmaier. While this is an individual award, I have been supported by a whole team of people throughout this season and my career at Ohio State, and I owe this all to my coaches and teammates over the last five years. Receiving this award is something I never even could have imagined was possible.”
Jaques is the first winner from Ohio State. She’s also the second-ever defenseman to be awarded the prize despite being named for a defensive player.
“It is kind of ironic that Patti was a defenseman, but this award usually goes to a forward so I’m very happy for Sophie and Ohio State because I think it’s important to recognize a defenseman and she’s definitely been a fantastic player for her whole career,” said former Minnesota coach Laura Halldorson, who was Kazmaier’s teammate at Princeton
“She’s just so smart. She does have good offensive skills. That’s what I think makes her really special. She’s great defensively and offensively. And that is pretty rare.”
The only other defenseman to win the award was former Harvard defender and four-time Olympian Angela Ruggiero, who won in 2004.
“I’m so thrilled for Sophie bringing the Patty Kaz back to the blueline,” Ruggiero said. “She has been phenomenal all season on both ends of the ice and is doing things unheard of for a defender. Twenty-four goals, 48 points in 40 games is game-changing. She’s a major reason why the Buckeyes are back in the championship and I’m looking forward to watching her skate on Sunday.”
Jaques was selected from a group of three finalists that included forwards Alina Müller of Northeastern and Danielle Serdachny of Colgate.
“I’m definitely so honored and humbled to be on this list and to be one of only two defenseman is incredible,” Jaques said. “I’m so happy to get some recognition for great defensive play and I hope there’s so many other defenseman that win in the future.”
A true two-way player, Jaques is an imposing, strong and effective defenseman who not only stops opposing offenses but starts her team’s counter from the back. She has blocked 55 shots, and has helped the team hold opponents to just 1.75 goals and 20.75 shots per game.
Offensively, Jaques has recorded 48 points on the year with 24 assists and a career and team-high 24 goals. She leads blueliners nationally in points and goals for the second consecutive season. She also leads Ohio State’s nation-leading power play with nine power play goals on the year, which is tied for best in the country, while her 217 shots on goal and 5.71 shots on goal per game led the WCHA.
Coach Nadine Muzerall, Ohio State teammates and opposing coaches tout Jaques’ poise. A somewhat quiet and reserved person off the ice, she has a calm stillness that carries over onto the ice.
“She doesn’t get rattled, and she stays calm and composed under pressure, whether it’s the first game of September or a national championship,” Muzerall said. “She doesn’t allow noise to creep into her performance and her mindset, she just plays because she loves playing.”
A top-three finalist for this award last season, Jaques made use of the fifth year of eligibility the NCAA allotted to student athletes because of the COVID pandemic and returned to help the Buckeyes defend their national championship. With arguably the most talented group of Division I women’s hockey players on the ice this season thanks to that bonus year and players returning from the Olympics, Jaques still shined. She exceeded the very high expectations her own play last season put on her all while playing for the team everyone else in women’s hockey wanted to beat.
“I’m overwhelmed for Sophie and the growth of Ohio State hockey in the past few years. She’s just been so deserving of it. I think it speaks volumes of what people around the whole country think of her,” Muzerall said. “She does all the little things right and importantly she’s an unbelievable human being. I’m just super proud of how far she’s come over her five years.”
The defending champion Buckeyes will face Wisconsin in the title game on Sunday.
−Staff writer Colin Gay contributed to this report.
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